A year ago Ryan Blaney and Travis Pastrana made their NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debuts at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. This time around they’ll rely on the experienced gained in the last year competing in NASCAR’s top development series to step up to the next level.
In the past decade the NASCAR K&N Pro Series has become a successful feeder system to the upper levels of NASCAR. Martin Truex Jr. and Austin Dillon became championship winners in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, respectively. Recent K&N Pro Series graduates Joey Logano and Trevor Bayne have also become race winners at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series level.
This weekend in Richmond, Blaney and Pastrana will continue their development in the K&N Pro Series while also hoping to make a successful leap to the Nationwide Series.
Both Blaney and Pastrana said their experience in the 2011 Blue Ox 100, as well as a return appearance in this Thursday’s K&N Pro Series East event, was a deciding factor in designating Virginia 529 College Savings 250 as the perfect opportunity to make their Nationwide Series debut.
“I loved the place when we ran K&N there last year and I’m really excited to go back there,” Blaney said. “We wanted to go to a track that I was really comfortable with, and that the teams run good with [for the Nationwide debut]. So hopefully we can get a good result.”
“We’re starting with Richmond, which is close to my house, and race as we did last year in the K&N Series,” Pastrana said. “We’ll also will do it [the K&N race] this year on the Thursday before the Nationwide debut, so it’s a really good place to start.”
Whether it’s on a part-time basis – like Blaney – or competing the full season – like Pastrana – many developing drivers are turning to the K&N Pro Series as a place to get valuable track time and experience with the hope of moving up through the ranks. Blaney hopes to lean on the experience gained, specifically in Thursday’s Blue Ox 100, to get prepared for his Nationwide Series debut.
“It’s going to be a big help for me, a big learning experience to see what will help us out later in the race,” Blaney said of competing Thursday night. “So it’s definitely an advantage having to race the night before.”
For Pastrana, while Thursday’s Blue Ox 100 will be crucial for his Friday outing, it is more of a total learning experience that he is gaining by competing week-in and week-out in the K&N Pro Series East along with a whole host of young developing talent.
“The K&N race [last year at Richmond] was a very humbling experience,” Pastrana said. “You look and there are so many guys out there. People say NASCAR is an older demographic and this and that. I’ve gotten my butt kicked by 15, 17, 18-year-olds that kill me on a weekly basis.
“So there is definitely a lot of young talent coming up, and I’m super excited to kind of learn with them, even though I’ve been always one of the younger guys in everything I’ve done. Now I definitely came in and I’m one of the older guys for sure.”
CAR |
DRIVER/HOMETOWN |
TEAM |
OWNER |
CREW CHIEF |
0 |
Enrique Contreras * |
Viva La Raza Racing Toyota |
Cody Sommer |
Cody Sommer |
1 |
Sergio Peña, Winchester, Va. |
Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota |
Shigeaki Hattori |
Matt Goslant |
2 |
Ryan Gifford, Winchester, Tenn. |
Universal Technical Institute/NTI Toyota |
Max Siegel |
Dennis Connor |
4 |
Bryan Ortiz, Bayamon, Puerto Rico * |
Toyota Racing Development Toyota |
Max Siegel |
Mardy Lindley |
6 |
Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif. * |
Rev Racing Toyota |
Max Siegel |
Randy Goss |
07 |
Corey LaJoie, Concord, N.C. |
Virginia Motor Spdwy/Sims Metal Ford |
Randy LaJoie |
Ron Otto |
7 |
Michael McGuire, Vinton, Va. * |
Woods Towing & Transportation Toyota |
Tim McGuire |
Mark Huff |
8 |
Jorge Arteaga, Aguascalientes, Mexico * |
Rev Racing Toyota |
Max Siegel |
Mark Green |
9 |
Chase Elliott, Dawsonville, Ga. |
Aaron’s/HendrickCars.com Chevrolet |
Bill Elliott |
Lance McGrew |
10 |
Ryan Blaney, High Point, N.C. * |
DB Racing Toyota |
Dave Blaney |
Trent Owens |
11 |
Brett Moffitt, Grimes, Iowa |
Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota |
Shigeaki Hattori |
Dave McCarty |
12 |
Jorge Contreras Jr., Naucalpan, Mexico * |
Telmex/Ed Hardy/TWR Dodge |
Lori Williams |
Troy Williams |
14 |
Daniel Suarez, Monterrey, Mexico |
Telcel/Finsa/Rocacero Toyota |
Geraldo Rodrigues |
Coleman Pressley |
15 |
Carlos Iaconelli, Sao Paulo, Brazil * |
Bienvenidos a NASCAR/Mayor Cars Toyota |
Geraldo Rodrigues |
Mark McFarland |
16 |
Duarte Ferreira, Luanda, Angola * |
LS Sports/Sonangol Toyota |
Geraldo Rodrigues |
Jerry Babb |
17 |
Nelson Piquet Jr., Brasilia, Brazil |
X Team Racing Toyota |
Geraldo Rodrigues |
Chris Carrier |
18 |
Darrell Wallace, Jr., Concord, N.C. |
Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
J.D. Gibbs |
Bryant Frazier |
22 |
Sam Hunt, Midlothian, Va. * |
Oakley/Bruster’s Ice Cream Dodge |
Rick Gdovic |
Rick Gdovic |
26 |
Dylan Presnell, Sevierville, Tenn. * |
American Mountain Rentals/Amtrol Toyota |
Joe Coulter |
Kris Bowen |
29 |
Brennan Newberry, Bakersfield, Calif. |
NTS Motorsports Chevrolet |
Bob Newberry |
Dan Deeringhoff |
31 |
Jimmy Weller, Hubbard, Ohio * |
Integrated Metal Products Toyota |
Jim Weller |
Joe Williams |
32 |
Dale Quarterley, Westfield, Mass. |
Van Dyk Baler Chevrolet |
Dale Quarterley |
Ed Murray |
35 |
Derek Ramstrom, West Boylston, Mass. |
Matthews Truck Service/Titech Chevrolet |
Richard Ramstrom |
John McJunkins |
37 |
Chad Finchum, Knoxville, Tenn. * |
Texas Roadhouse/Spraker Racing Toyota |
Jeff Spraker |
Dinky Thornton |
39 |
CJ Faison, Seaford, Del. * |
Generation Rescue Chevrolet |
Ronald Faison |
Brandon Butler |
46 |
Brandon Gdovic, Yorktown, Va. |
Aquis Communications/ComServe Dodge |
Rick Gdovic |
Todd Loshe |
47 |
Cale Conley, Vienna, W.Va. |
PMC/Health Bridge Imaging Toyota |
Yale Conley |
Mark Durgin |
49 |
Scott Saunders, Brisbane, Australia * |
Inox Supreme Lube/Standout Wraps Dodge |
Jenifer McDonald |
Mark Durgin |
51 |
Stephen Nasse, Pinellas Park, Fla. * |
All American Cncrt/StephenNasse.com Toyota |
Jeff Nasse |
TBA |
62 |
Andrew Smith, Pooler, Ga. |
Octane/SavannahPawn.com Chevrolet |
Edwin Smith |
David Ifft |
63 |
John Salemi, Nashua, N.H. |
John Salemi Racing Toyota |
Joe Salemi |
Kevin Salemi |
70 |
Rafael Vallina * |
Viva La Raza Racing Toyota |
Cody Sommer |
TBA |
71 |
Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass. |
Grimm Construction Chevrolet |
Rob Grimm |
Rollie Lachance |
80 |
Blake Jones, Sevierville, Tenn. * |
Teddy Jones Racing Chevrolet |
Teddy Jones |
Josh McCoy |
96 |
Ben Kennedy, Daytona Beach, Fla. |
Ben Kennedy Racing Chevrolet |
Robert Johnson |
Mike Fritts |
97 |
Jesse Little, Sherrils Ford, N.C. * |
Hurst Mtspts/Team Little Racing Chevrolet |
Jason Little |
Travis Sharp |
98 |
Chad Boat, Phoenix, Ariz. |
Curb Records Chevrolet |
Mike Curb |
Eddie Dickerson |
99 |
Travis Pastrana, Annapolis, Md. * |
iRacing Toyota |
Michael Waltrip |
Mike Greci |
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